Men's Basketball Southern Conference

College of Charleston To Renovate John Kresse Arena

Charleston, S.C. - The College of Charleston Board of
Trustees voted to increase the seating capacity at the John Kresse
Arena from the current 3,500 seats to 5,000 with the flexibility to
enlarge in the future. The board also voted to place an approximate
$36 million budget on the renovation project.

"I am pleased with the unanimity of this decision and the
fact that it took under consideration the surrounding neighborhoods
and our academic mission," says Board of Trustees Chairman Roberts
Smalls, Jr.

Talk about building a new arena surfaced several years ago.
At the time, college officials were looking at a possible site on
upper Meeting Street for the location of the new basketball arena.
However, in November of last year the board of trustees voted to
reject the option of building a new arena on upper Meeting Street and
decided to renovate the current Johnson Center. Board members
believed that the arena should stay close to the heart of the college
campus.

A consulting group made a presentation to the board members
this morning showing several different options in the expansion
process. In the end, the board voted unanimously to expand the
current arena to a 5,000-seat facility.

"We reached a prudent decision for the future of our
basketball program," says Trustee member Robert Marlowe.

No start date was set to begin renovations and expansion at
the Johnson Center. It is estimated to take close to two years to
complete the work.